By Obed Kithende
The leadership of the Microfinance Support Centre has revealed that it will support the widows who were left behind by the Rwenzururu Royal Guards who perished during a raid on the Buhikira Royal Palace.
In November 2016, a joint security force carried out an operation at the Buhikira Royal Palace and the Administration offices in Kasese town leaving scores of people dead and the subsequent arrest of the King- Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Iremangoma and a section of Royal Guards.
Addressing the beneficiaries of Emyooga programme from Kasese Municipality and Busongora South Constituency on Thursday at the Boma Grounds, the Deputy Executive Director of the Microfinance Support Centre, Petronilla Hellen Masika said they would establish common user projects including salons and welding workshops to the orphans, widows and widowers of Rwenzururu Kingdom as one way of boosting their livelihoods.
About monitoring the Emyooga programme, Masika revealed that they would engage the Office of the Resident District Commissioner to monitor and evaluate the performance of Emyooga Cooperatives across the entire district.
She explained that the shillings 20 million additional seed capital to Emyooga Cooperatives would base on the performance of the first 30 millions that was disbursed in January last year to the 18 categories of Emyooga SACCOs in every constituency, adding that Juakali SACCO, the NRM pressure group will also be among the groups that would be supported.
She announced the best performing Emyooga Cooperative in Kasese Municipality in terms of loan recovery, shares and savings as that of the People Living with Disabilities
Roset Monday, the Chairperson of Kasese Municipality People Living with Disability attributed their success to the seriousness and commitment by the members despite inability by some members to walk.
Rosemary Bagaya, the Secretary for Busongora South Fishermen Emyooga Cooperative that was also among the best performers, said despite their better performance, they were facing a challenge of lack of fishing gear.
